New International Version
Genesis 3:24
24After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
- New Living Translation (NLT)After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Context of Genesis 3:24
22And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Read all of Genesis 3Genesis 3:24 word by word
וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- So he drove outגָּרַשׁgârash · to drive out: drive outH1644
- the manאָדָם'âdâm · the man (Adam)H120
- and he placedשָׁכַןshâkan · to dwellH7931
- at the eastקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: eastH6924
- of the gardenגַּןgan · gardenH1588
- of Edenעֵ֫דֶן‛êden · EdenH5731
- Cherubimsכְּרוּבkerûb · cherubH3742
- and a flamingלַ֫הַטlahaţ · flameH3858
- swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- which turned every wayהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- to keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
- the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- of the treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
- of lifeחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
Cross-references for Genesis 3:24
- Genesis 2:8Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.
- Exodus 25:2“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.
- 1 Samuel 4:4So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
- 1 Kings 6:25The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape.
- Psalms 80:1Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
- Psalms 99:1The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.
- Psalms 104:4He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
- Ezekiel 10:2The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.
- Hebrews 1:7In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”
- Numbers 22:23When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.
- Joshua 5:13Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
- 1 Chronicles 21:16David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
- John 14:6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
- Hebrews 10:18And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Commentaries on Genesis 3:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24So he drove out the man - Three things are noted here: God's displeasure against sinful man, evidenced by his expelling him from this place of blessedness; Man's unfitness for the place, of which he had rendered himself unworthy by his ingratitude and transgression; and, His reluctance to leave this place of happiness. He was, as we may naturally conclude, unwilling to depart, and God drove him out. He placed at the east - מכדם mikkedem , or before the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22-24Verses 22-24 - XVII. The Execution 24. כרוּב kerûb ברך in Aramaic: “carve, plow”; Persian: “grip, grasp.” This word occurs about eighty-seven times in the Hebrew scriptures; in sixty of which it refers to carved or embroidered figures; in twenty-two to the living being in the vision of Ezekiel Ezekiel 28:14, Ezekiel 28:16; in two to a being on which the Lord is poetically described as riding 2 Samuel 22:11; Psalm 18:11; and in the present passage…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-24Verses 22-24 God bid man go out; told him he should no longer occupy and enjoy that garden: but man liked the place, and was unwilling to leave it, therefore God made him go out. This signified the shutting out of him, and all his guilty race, from that communion with God, which was the bliss and glory of paradise. But man was only sent to till the ground out of which he was taken. He was sent to a place of toil, not to a place of torment. Our first…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24Cherubim are a type of angel that guard access to God's presence (Exodus 26:31; Ezekiel 28:14). east … of Eden: In Genesis, moving east often means leaving God's presence or blessing. This can happen because of: judgment (Genesis 4:16), human pride or independence (Genesis 11:2; Genesis 13:11), or separation from the family (Genesis 25:6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. placed ... cherbim--The passage should be rendered thus: "And he dwelt between the cherubim at the East of the Garden of Eden and a fierce fire, or Shekinah, unfolding itself to preserve the way of the tree of life." This was the mode of worship now established to show God's anger at sin and teach the mediation of a promised Saviour as the way of life, as well as of access to God. They were the same figures as were afterwards in the tabernacle and…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 3:24
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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